Media artist Refik Anadol has become the first artist to transform Sphere’s exterior in Las Vegas into an immersive digital experience called Machine Hallucinations: Sphere.

The new $2.3 billion Sphere has the largest LED screen in the world, called the Exosphere. This is covered with nearly 580,000 square feet of fully programmable LED panelling.

Described by Anadol as an AI data sculpture, the artwork was made exclusively for Sphere and creates abstract imagery of space and nature.

The two-part series includes Machine Hallucinations: Space and Machine Hallucinations: Nature. The former utilises millions of raw images captured and recorded by the International Space Station and the NASA Hubble Space Telescope. The latter uses more than 300 million publicly available photographs of flora and fauna.

“I am extremely honored to be the first artist to utilize the exterior of Sphere,” Anadol said. “It’s so exciting to be given such an architectural and engineering marvel as a canvas. This opportunity aligns perfectly with our studio’s long-term mission of embedding media arts into architecture to create living architectural pieces that are in constant interaction with their environments.”

Anadol, whose work has been exhibited at institutions including New York’s Museum of Modern Art, uses collections of public data and machine learning algorithms to create immersive art installations.

Guy Barnett, senior vice president of brand strategy and creative development at Sphere Entertainment, said Anadol is the “ideal artist” to first use the Exosphere, an “incomparable canvas for artists who want to explore their artistic expression on a global stage and push the boundaries of what’s possible”.

AI data sculpture

Barnett added, “Through the captivating power of the Exosphere and our unwavering commitment to showcase both art and brands on Sphere’s exterior, we will forever change the way artwork and commerce co-exist.”

Sphere is a unique entertainment venue offering immersive experiences by artists and creators. It will host original productions by Hollywood directors – including The Whale and Black Swan helmer Darren Aronofsky.

Machine Hallucinations: Sphere will be visible on Sphere for four months.

Images courtesy of Sphere Entertainment

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